Earlier today, Maryland Juice flagged a groundbreaking announcement from President Obama that the Department of Homeland Security would halt deportation proceedings against many undocumented youths (aka Dreamers). Today, dozens of excited advocates participated in a celebratory rally outside of the White House. Educating Maryland Kids, the organization coordinating Dream Act ballot defense this November, posted the following photo on Twitter:

Meanwhile, the Obama campaign issued a press release noting that Mitt Romney says he would veto the Dream Act:

PRESS RELEASE

Romney Said He’d Veto the DREAM Act and Won’t Express Support For It Today

CHICAGO, IL – Obama for America National Press Secretary Ben LaBolt released the following statement in reaction to Mitt Romney’s refusal to support the DREAM Act:

“During the primaries, Governor Romney called the DREAM Act a handout and said he would veto it. His ‘solution’ to our immigration challenges was self-deportation. Today he continues to refuse to express support for legislation that lets children who were brought to the U.S. and want to contribute by pursuing higher education or serve in the military stay in America. The President remains committed to passing the DREAM Act, which was drafted with bipartisan support, but he won’t sit back and allow these children to get deported in the face of inaction. Congressional Republicans must end their continued obstruction to allow us to achieve the ultimate goal of signing the DREAM Act into law.”

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Below Maryland Juice also provides a full video copy of President Obama's remarks, along with follow-up commentary from Lt. Governor Anthony Brown. Notably, the White House is hosting a Hispanic Summit Saturday, June 16th (tomorrow), in Silver Spring, MD. Details following the video below:

“The Obama Administration’s announcement that young, law abiding undocumented immigrants will be able to give back to their communities without the constant fear of deportation is an extremely welcome and long overdue step forward which will allow thousands to finally come out of the shadows of our society. These are hardworking young people in Maryland and throughout our country, young people in whom we’ve already invested through a high school education and who deserve the opportunity to give back to the only country they have ever called home.

“While this sensible change represents a significant, commonsense shift in America’s federal immigration policy, it only further underscores the need to take action at the State level through the Maryland DREAM Act. Children of undocumented immigrants who have paid Maryland taxes, attended Maryland high schools, and who want to give back to Maryland communities should be allowed to pay in-state tuition at Maryland’s colleges and universities. Access to a higher education will help them contribute to our economy, pay taxes from higher paying jobs, and provide service to their community.

“I applaud President Obama for enacting a policy that recognizes how much we stand to gain by embracing new Americans. To ensure that Maryland continues to thrive and remains a land of opportunity for all, we must embrace all who wish to contribute to our great State.”

TOMORROW, Lt. Governor Brown will deliver welcoming remarks at the White House Hispanic Community Action Summit at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring. The summit will connect senior Obama Administration officials from diverse policy areas with community leaders, business owners, and other stakeholders to discuss issues critical to the Hispanic community, Maryland, and the nation. Among the topics for discussion are education, immigration, health care, jobs and economic recovery.

MD Juice News Feed:

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